


Fire Walk With Me

by noctuua



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2018-02-23 20:19:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2554286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noctuua/pseuds/noctuua
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Levi." The press of a tongue against the incisors, indentations left on a pouting bottom lip.</i>
  <br/>
  <i>She leans in closer, her hair blowing attractively across her face. His fingers itch to tuck it behind her ear, but he glowers back instead, eyes dark.</i>
  <br/>
  <i>"You won't forget me so easily, will you, Levi?"</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing for SnK and actually writing in second person/writing a reader fic, so please bear with me. As of right now, based on the first chapter, there's no real need for archive warnings or additional tags, so I'll be adding those as I write this story and the same goes for the rating. It'll eventually be mature or explicit, I haven't completely decided between the two yet but it won't matter much in the beginning anyways, aside from language (and warning for the future: there are going to be mentions of noncon/sexual abuse, so if that's something that bothers you/is triggering for you, please proceed with caution). The first chapter will most likely be the only one that features Levi's POV, but that's subject to change. There's also no relation between this story and Twin Peaks, I'm just horrible at being original (the Fire Walk With Me poem is rather interesting, though). 
> 
> Additionally, I'm going to try to avoid ever writing any variation of "[first]" and "[last]", not that I have anything against their usage, but they have this way of disrupting the ambiance of the story, especially when your two characters are trying to get it on; I dunno, maybe I'm too picky.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy and thanks in advance for reading/commenting/giving kudos/being wonderful/etc.
> 
> Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Hajime Isayama, except you.

_"Levi." The press of a tongue against the incisors, indentations left on a pouting bottom lip._

_She leans in closer, her hair blowing attractively across her face. His fingers itch to tuck it behind her ear, but he glowers back instead, eyes dark._

_"You won't forget me so easily, will you, Levi?" The corners of her mouth lift up into a shit-eating grin before she presses her soft lips to his. Levi's eyes grow wide as he struggles against the cold steel that bites into his wrists. Before the girl can pull away, he sinks his teeth into her skin, the integument tearing easily as she jerks away._

_Her smile returns and it's the most beautiful smile he's seen in years. Blood trickles down her chin and coats her bottom teeth. She laughs as she runs across the roof, flinging herself off the edge and flying into the night._

_Levi closes his eyes._

_______________________________

"-ptain Levi. Captain Levi, sir?" Pinpricks shoot up Levi's arm, the hair on the back of his neck bristling, and he blinks blearily at the cadet standing in his doorway. The pen held loosely between his fingers has bled through the paper and Levi inwardly groans at the prospect of redoing paperwork.

"What is it, cadet?" His voice is hoarse from disuse as the last tendrils of sleep slip away. A crease forms in Levi's brow as he struggles to remember what he'd been dreaming and the soldier hesitates, his eyes widening.

"Commander Erwin needs to see you, sir. He says it's urgent." The boy salutes, his voice shaking.

A sigh escapes the captain's lips and he pushes up from his chair to exit the room. He pauses next to the cadet, the boy's hands still pressed firmly against his heart and his back.

"You're dismissed," he says, watching as the boy turns on his heel to walk quickly down the hallway and into the dark.

The walk to Erwin's office is short, and Levi doesn't get much time to consider what must be so urgent that Erwin couldn't come get him himself. Unsure of what time it is, he glances out of a window on his climb to the next floor, the skies a murky blue, orange and pink hues dusting the horizon to signal the rising sun. Levi continues on.

When he arrives at the aging oak door of the commander's office, he forgoes knocking and pushes against the heavy wood. His hand remains pressed to the door as Erwin comes into view, standing behind his desk, mirth tugging at the corner of his mouth and dancing in his eyes. It's been a while since Levi's seen such a carefree expression on the commander's chiseled features.

Erwin's gaze is directed at the chair placed in front of his desk, and Levi finally notices its current occupant. His eyes skim across slender shoulders and thick hair tossed carelessly over the right.

The two seem to be sharing a moment, a strange thing for Levi to witness when Erwin is involved, despite their many years of friendship, and Levi shifts uncomfortably before clearing his throat and taking a step further into the room.

"What do you need, Erwin? I was told it was urgent," he says, gazing at the taller man who seems to come out of a daze, his posture straightening as he nods towards Levi. The girl's head has tilted as Levi has spoken, enough so that he can appreciate the smooth curve of her jaw, but not the rest of her face.

"Levi," replies the commander, his eyes still gleaming. His amusement aggravates Levi, as if Erwin is laughing at him, keeping him in the dark. The corner of his mouth pulls down into a frown and he tries to pass off his sigh of frustration as another clearing of his throat.

Erwin gestures to the young woman in front of him and another small smile graces his normally stony features as he introduces her. Levi shows no obvious signs of recognition towards hearing her name and the commander takes note.

"I'd like you to welcome our new cadet to the Survey Corps. She's a bit older than the new recruits, but her skills far surpass those of the others. We'll need to give her some extra training and conditioning, and I thought you'd be the most suitable for the job. I considered asking Mike, as I'm putting her on his squad for now, but he's busy with the other cadets and I figured your squad would be capable preparing for next month's expedition without you."

He pauses to take in the captain's uncomfortable stature, the pout in his lips and the furrow in his brow. His left hand is still propped against the door.

The commander returns his piercing stare to the girl seated in front of him, his hand gesturing over her shoulder.

"This is Captain Levi Ackerman. He'll be catching you up on the past three months of training."

As the young woman turns her head, the hair tossed over her shoulder falls in a slow curtain across her back, the ends swinging gently. A sort of dull recognition begins to bloom in the forefront of his mind—a memory, perhaps, of hair blowing in the wind. Levi's fingers itch.

Slate gray eyes travel up to parted lips, a tiny sliver of a white scar marring the soft flesh of the lower one. Her pout stretches into a wide grin, revealing perfect, pearly white teeth and Levi's eyes flick up to meet a gaze as penetrating as his own.

"Have you forgotten, Levi?"

There's a soft thud as the man's hand drops from the door to hang limply at his side.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It's been over 2 years since I updated this.....hahaha. Don't know if anyone's still watching this story and waiting for an update. I'm really sorry, I've had the next 2.5 chapters written for a while now but just never got around to uploading them and I just started rewatching the series and decided to upload them? I'm not sure if I'll continue this story, but a lot has changed in 2 years and I'm no longer in school so it's not like I'm busy haha. I guess it just depends on if I can get past the writer's block I've had for the past 2 years haha.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for waiting!

It's obvious that the man recognizes you, his eyes falling back down to your lip, the scar distorted by the stretching of your mouth into its toothy grin. His gray eyes widen and return to meet your own; a flash of pink as Levi wets his chapped lips. You watch with anticipation as the man struggles to form words.

You're disappointed when the first to come out of his mouth is "sir", his expressions of shock and recognition gone as fast as they'd appeared.

Wishing for him not to see your dismay, the waver of your dazzling smile is fleeting and you turn sideways in Erwin's chair to better face the captain. Legs crossed and both arms resting on the back of the seat, you study Levi closely.

"No need to call me 'sir', Levi. Unless that's what you're into," you reply in an even tone, eyes glimmering.

The man's eyes twitch and the crease in his brow deepens as he sighs through clenched teeth.

"Erwin, can we speak in private?" Levi asks, his gaze sliding over to the blonde commander, shoulders tense.

As you begin to push out of the chair to leave the room, Erwin comes to stand beside you and places a hand on your shoulder, pushing you back down with a gentle nudge. He looks at you and offers a faint smile before locking eyes with the shorter man.

"We'll just step outside for a moment. You and I have a few more things to go over before you officially begin your training."

It's silent in the spacious office, save for the faint twitter of waking birds that drift through the open window behind the commander's desk. You rise from the chair and cross the short distance to place your hands on the sill. The slight breeze caresses your cheeks as you breathe in the fresh air. You have to admit it's quite beautiful all the way out here away from the pungent stench of the cities—too many people confined in such a small space.

Still leaning out of the window, your eyes slide shut and you train your hearing on the muffled voices on the other side of the oak door.

"You can't be serious, Erwin," Levi scoffs, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "I'm not going to train her."

With his chin jutting out and the cross look on his face, Erwin thinks Levi looks like a stubborn child. He keeps his mouth shut and stares blankly at the shorter man.

"If I had thought I'd get the best results from someone else I would have asked them already, Levi. We need her and I need you to train her. She already knows how to use the 3D maneuver gear and—" He's interrupted by a "tch" and he pauses to blink at Levi.

"What is it?" He asks, and Levi mutters under his breath, his chin tilted towards his left shoulder.

Erwin clears his throat and continues, "As I was saying, she's quick on her feet and I wouldn't have bothered you if I had someone better."

He waits for a response from Levi, can almost see the gears turning in the man's head. He listens patiently to the click of Levi’s jaw.

"Unless of course, you'd like to tell me why exactly you don't want to train her?"

When Levi meets the commander's gaze again, the warmth from before is back: the silent laughter visible in his eyes. Levi's frown deepens and he exhales through his nose in frustration.

"Alright, fine. I'll train the stupid brat. Are you happy?" Stalking past the commander, Levi shoves the office door open, his lips parted to snarl something at you, no doubt. The curve of your backside is accentuated as you lean out of the window and the captain stops abruptly, finds himself distracted.

You glance over your shoulder to catch Levi’s eye and notice the direction of his stare; you wink at him with a smile and his mouth snaps shut. Behind him, Erwin's expression remains a blank slate but his eyes continue to sparkle with laughter.

Levi schools his expression and you're put off by how bored he looks, staring at you with as little interest as one would a pile of hay.

"Meet me on the training grounds at eight sharp," he says in a gruff tone. "Make sure you eat and drink well beforehand; I won't have you collapsing on me while we spar."

After Levi has left, you return to the seat in front of Erwin's desk and he takes his own. You go over some paperwork and legal documents on your transfer from the hands of the Military Police to the Survey Corps. The blonde man’s gaze trails over the smooth contours of your face while you sign the forms, admiring the sweep of your dark lashes over your cheekbones. He enjoys the way you chew at your bottom lip in concentration. Once you've finished going through the papers, Erwin clears his throat and places his hands on his desk, fingers laced. 

"With any other new recruit, I'd just have them share a room with some of the other female cadets," he begins, his thick eyebrows knitting together. "Given your situation, I think it'd be best to give you your own room." 

You nod. "And where will that be?"

Studying the heavy definition of Erwin’s dark brows, you wait for him to respond. As you hold your bottom lip between your teeth, you run your tongue of the ridge of your scar. You're not quite sure when the action became a habit.

Erwin stands, towering over you even from across the desk. You realize just how large the blonde man is and you run your eyes over his pectoral muscles clearly defined by the fabric of his shirt. Your eyes flick up to his and he smiles before he opens his office door to speak with a cadet just outside.

The commander calls your name and you realize your vision's gone blurry, the soft click of your lids rattling through your skull as you blink rapidly to refocus. The boy outside the door is short and blonde with striking blue eyes and a slender build. He stares at you with unabashed curiosity bubbling just at the surface but his demeanor is calm and gentle.

"This is Cadet Arlert, he'll be showing you to your quarters. Welcome to the Survey Corps—I expect great things from you."

You shake Erwin’s hand before taking your leave, his grip firm and skin warm, the smile still on his face.

When you turn to follow the small cadet out of the office, you find him looking at the commander and the expression on his face is one of barely masked shock. You wonder if the man's warmth is an unusual thing. 

Once you’ve left the corridor leading to Erwin’s office, the boy looks at you again. His forehead has smoothed and his features relaxed.

“You can call me Armin,” he tells you, and you smile down at him as you introduce yourself, your footsteps echoing in the otherwise silent hallway. “I’ve never met anyone else with a name like yours, it’s unique—not one from any of the main cities, am I right?”

His eyes are bright, glittering with wisdom beyond his years, but they also carry a freshness, an uninhibited eagerness. A large grin stretches across your face and you meet his gaze as you walk side by side, your hair falling attractively over your shoulder and bouncing with each step. Armin blushes and faces forward.

“Thank you, Armin,” you say with as much sincerity as you can muster. Making friends has never been an issue for you and you find the blonde boy will be no exception, although you're unaccustomed to his youth. He doesn’t look to be more than 16 at most, but then again you’ve never been good at guessing people’s ages. 

You rub at the side of your neck and laugh, “I’m sorry you got stuck walking me around so early in the morning.”

Eyes on the floor, Armin copies your previous action. “Actually,” he says, “This was Captain Levi’s punishment for me making his tea incorrectly but it was really my friend Eren who messed up, I just delivered it.”

“Are you serious? Man, what an asshole! For such a small guy, Levi holds a lot of hostility.” You exclaim, laughing at Levi’s fickleness. You’re pleasantly surprised when you hear a bark of laughter escape from Armin’s lips at your brash words. 

The corner of his mouth lifts slightly as he murmurs, “Well this wasn’t much of a punishment in my opinion. I’d choose walking you places over anything else the Captain tries to throw my way.” He shuts his mouth when he realizes what he’s just said and keeps his gaze on the floorboards.

Stopping in front of a door like the one to Erwin’s office you realize you haven’t been paying attention to your surroundings at all. You figure you’re somewhere on the other side of the building and down a few floors. Armin looks as if he’s about to say something but thinks better of it and points to a neighboring door.

“That’s Squad Leader Hange Zoe’s room. If you need anything she’ll be happy to help you out, but you can always come find me too.” He bids you farewell and turns to make his way back down the long corridor. 

“Armin,” you call out to him and he stops in his tracks, glancing back over his shoulder with a questioning look. "You’re right, it’s not one from the main cities.”

You smile at him again and he returns the gesture, the heat in his cheeks rising once more before he continues down the hall and around the corner. You face the door again, sighing as you push it open to step into your new home.

The few items you’d brought with you remain in their trunk placed at the foot of your new bed, on top of which your uniform is resting. Based on when you arrived at the Survey Corps headquarters, you guess you’ve got about an hour before you need to meet Levi. You’re sure this training is going to be worse than anything you’ve ever experienced.

You take a few more minutes to explore your room, a small rectangle of space with a bed, wardrobe, small desk, and to your surprise, a bathroom with its own little shower. You may not be able to take baths, but you’re definitely not complaining; you’re sure none of the other cadets received the same treatment. Inside the wardrobe you find two more uniforms stacked perfectly one on top of the other.

Shedding the only clothing you’d decided to bring, you shove it into your trunk and study the neatly folded uniform in front of you. You wonder if it had been Armin tasked with delivering your luggage and uniforms to your room or some other cadet. 

Everything is a perfect fit, the crisp white shirt neither too tight nor too loose across your chest and shoulders. The light gray slacks hug your hips and calves in a flattering manner, the stretchy fabric encases your hips and accentuates your curves.

After making some adjustments to the straps around your thighs and the one across your chest, you pull on the knee-high boots and the beige Survey Corps jacket. The cropped leather comes to just above your navel. 

All in all you think you look pretty good, but you’re guessing the titans won’t stop to admire how well your uniform fits you as they attempt to devour you. Which, now that you think of it, makes you wonder just how Erwin or whoever had known exactly what size clothing and boots you’d need. During your talk with the commander earlier he’d implied that they’d had an eye on you for a while, so you brush that thought off and walk over to the small window beside your bed. 

The sun has risen quite a bit more since you’ve last seen it and you realize the temperature is only going to rise from this point. Not wanting to run out of time to eat, you're quick to change out of your new shirt and back into the black tank top you'd been wearing before.

Sliding the leather jacket across your shoulders once more, you leave your room to stand in front of Squad Leader Zoe's. You knock twice and take a step back. It only takes a few seconds before the door rips open and you find yourself face to face with an overly excited, bespectacled brunette.

"Morning!" You greet warmly. "You must be Squad Leader Zoe, it's a pleasure meeting you." The taller woman shakes your hand with great enthusiasm. 

"And you must be our new cadet! Commander Erwin was telling me all about you," she says grinning, your name rolling easily off her tongue. "What a unique name. You're obviously not from a well-known area."

"No," you say with a small smile, "I'm not."

"Well," she replies, stepping out into the hall with you and closing her door, "You can call me Hange. I guess you don't really know your way around here yet, seeing as you just got here. I'll take you with me to the dining hall."

If asked what the two of you talked about on the way to eat and all through your meal, you'd have absolutely no idea how to respond. You and Hange click just like that and you find yourself wanting to divulge every secret you've buried inside, every dream and wish because you know Hange would listen and you know she'd understand.

You're in awe of her exuberance and the joy that seems to radiate from her glowing skin. In all your life, you've never met anyone quite like her, so excited and eager to learn; you could use a Hange to brighten things up a bit.

"I know we'll be fast friends," she says when you part ways, and your heart leaps with joy at that. Giving your life to the Scouting Legion might not be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here's the other chapter I had written. I only have a bit of the next one written, so hopefully I can get my creative juices flowing and get back into this.
> 
> Feeling lucky?

It's been a while since you've been able to spend time outside and now that it's spring, the cheery weather only brightens your mood. 

Head lolling back and eyes closed, you bask in the golden rays of the sun, its long fiery tendrils reaching out to lick at your face. The faint grunts of sparring cadets drift over you.

The crunching of dirt beneath hard soles alerts you to Levi's approach, but you feign ignorance and keep your eyes closed. Hands supporting your weight from behind you, your long legs stretch in front of you in a V-shape. Annoyed, Levi kicks your right foot and you look up at him, cheek rolling onto your shoulder, eyes squinting in an attempt to shield the glaring sun. 

"Tch, get off the ground. Your uniform's going to be fucking filthy and we haven't even begun your training yet." 

He stands with his feet a shoulder's width apart and his arms crossed over his chest, towering above you and his chin tilted down toward you. From this angle you find yourself admiring the attractive curve of his angular jaw and the shadow of his brow cast over his eyes. The flexible material of his white trousers accentuate the jut of his hips and define his toned thighs. Wetting your lips, you wonder what Levi's abdomen must look like.

"Well lucky for me," you lilt as you push yourself off the ground, your slender limbs unfolding gracefully, "I have two more uniforms to get dirty."

You brush haphazardly at your ass and the backs of your thighs before you straighten up to face him finding yourself about eye to eye with the captain, give or take an inch. The furrow in Levi's brow deepens as you throw another wink in his direction. He's aggravated with himself for noticing every beauty mark on your face and every pigmented diamond in your bright irises.

"Did no one teach you how to salute your commanders?" He huffs, the corners of his lips turning down in disapproval.

You smile cheekily at him as you press your middle and forefinger together and bring them to your temple, giving them a flick in his direction.

His teeth grind in annoyance and you're sure if you were anyone else, his withering stare would have knocked you dead. You decide you've worn on his nerves enough for the afternoon though, and mirror him with ease when he demonstrates the appropriate salute.

Following Levi to a patch of grass near where you'd been sitting, you're surprised when he turns on his heel and sends a roundhouse kick right at your face. Never one to let others get the best of you, you feel the familiar burn in your lumbar spine as you bend backwards, hands springing you onto your feet once again. 

It's been some time since you've fought someone with as much speed, agility, and strength as Levi, but the burn of your muscles as they work to keep up is familiar. 

You fall into an easy rhythm with the captain, but find it difficult to land blows. You settle for defensive moves, bringing your elbows closer to your body and bouncing lightly on the balls of your feet. Your body moves in tandem with Levi's assault, swaying side to side to avoid his attacks. 

Sick of your dodging and his inability to land a blow, the man grunts as he lunges forward, feinting left and aiming at your head with his right fist. You tilt your head in time to avoid Levi's punch, but it's close enough that you hear the whoosh of air past your ear and feel the heat of his skin. 

The captain lets his anger get the best of him, snarling when he realizes you're about to ram into his abdomen in your ducking position. He grabs your ponytail in a last minute effort to stop you, his knee coming up out of habit and instinct.

The impact of Levi's knee slamming into the bridge of your nose is jarring, the sensation vibrating through your skull. A loud hum overwhelms your hearing and you feel numb before the throbbing takes over. 

You've had far worse injuries before, but that doesn't make the pain any less severe when it finally hits you. It's searing, pulsing through the bridge of your nose and across your cheeks. 

It doesn't take long for the pain to dull to an aching tingle and you realize that the warmth you feel in your nose is blood. Looking down, you see that it's been trickling down your chin and onto your shirt. At least it's not the new white one, you think.

In your dazed state, you'd lost your balance and fallen to the ground, the hard dirt digging into your sits bones. Looking up at Levi, you give yourself a moment while the reverberations and ringing in your head fade before you attempt to move.

Levi watches warily while you pick yourself off the ground, swaying as you regain your balance. You tilt your head back, thumb and forefinger pressing into the tender, bruising flesh. Your attempts to stop the bleeding are futile and rivulets of blood are beginning to slide down your arm as well. 

Apologies have never been Levi's strong suit and if he's being quite honest, he doesn't think he's to blame for the fact that you'd made it so easy for him to grasp your hair. He realizes that a crowd has gathered around the two of you and he scowls at the curious cadets, their eyes wide and maws gaping.

As he prepares to berate them for slacking off, he notices that the focus of every brat's attention is you. Remembering that you'd only just arrived this morning, he supposes the cadets must be wondering who you are.

"Is she alright?" You hear someone murmur, and your focus shifts to the throng of teens surrounding you and Levi. So these are your new colleagues; you think they look more like children.

Too many hushed voices make it difficult to pick out what anyone is saying, but you're able to gather that they don't know who you are, and you're hot. Levi hears that last part too, and your lips curve up as his scowl grows. 

"Don't you brats have some training you should be doing?" Levi asks cooly, and for the first time ever, no one pays him any attention. Levi's irritation grows, a steady building of tension starting in his calves and working its way up.

Gazing around at the crowded cadets, you spot Armin peering at you through a small gap between two shoulders. The look of concern on his face is so endearing that you can't help the growth of your smile. You toss a wink over your shoulder in his direction, turning back to face Levi as the boy's face turns a deep pink.

"Armin, do you know her?" You hear.

"Shit, did she just wink at you? Have you been holding out on us?"

The tension building in Levi's body reaches its peak when you turn to face him with a familiar smile shining with radiance in spite of the blood smeared across your teeth. His gunmetal eyes anchor once more to your lips, the tiny discoloration contrasting with your blood stained skin.

_"You won't forget me so easily, will you, Levi?"_

The captain lets a harsh breath out through his nose, his look darkening as you continue to grin at him. The crowd of cadets take a collective step back.

Before he can say another word, you snatch the cravat secured in the open collar of his shirt and hold it to your nose, effectively stemming the blood flow.

"I don't think you'll mind missing this for a few days," you say in a low voice, the teens straining to hear your words.

"You weren't wearing one all those years ago, so I assume it's not essential to your being." You watch his eyes narrow at the crimson seeping over the white cloth, slowly devouring the delicate threads.

Turning on your heel, you make your way towards the crowd, their bodies parting as Moses parted the Red Sea. All eyes follow your retreating back only to swivel around to gauge Levi's reaction.

The sweep of his onyx hair across his eyes makes the captain even more ominous and everyone can feel the anger that radiates from his body, and then it's gone. 

In a cursory glance around him, Levi captures everyone's gaze before lifting his chin.

"Any brat that's still here in the next 10 seconds will have stable duty for three months," he barks, tone cutting and harsh.

The crowd disperses faster than if the Colossal Titan had appeared out of thin air.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have an excuse for not having updated until now, except for that I'm a pile of trash haha

_"Levi! Someone was here!"_

_A girl's voice floats through the open window above you. You hear an angry grunt, followed by a bang and a loud clatter._

_"I know, Isabel! It's fine, Farlan. You stay here with her while I go. I need to get that gear back."_

_You start sprinting while you can. The cold air bites at your skin and your eyes water, the wind rushes so loudly in your ears, you think you can hear someone breathing behind you._

_Without looking back, you leap into the air and feel the familiar pressure all around you, the 3DMG tightening around your waist and slinging you through the night. The vast emptiness that surrounds you is exhilarating._

_You land easily on the roof of a building far away, the force of the stolen gear propelling you forward. You're running across the flat surface, lungs in your throat and the pounding of your heart ringing in your ears. The ledge is just a few meters away and you tense your leg muscles, prepared to fling yourself into the night once more._

_You don't make it._

_As you push off the ledge, a strong hand wraps around your ankle and yanks you backwards. Your right shoulder connects with the unforgiving stone and you feel the pain vibrate through you as your body rolls to a stop._

_A figure stands over you. Grey eyes shoot daggers at you from under a dark brow._

__________________________________

The rhythmic click of the captain's boots brings you out of your reverie and alerts you to his presence once more, but they're still quite a ways down the hall. It's been about an hour since your incident and all you've managed to do is shower and stare at your reflection in the tiny bathroom mirror.

You've cleaned up pretty nicely, you must say, the bruising of your nose minor and contained to the bridge. It's still quite sore, but so long as you don't touch it you're fine. At least it's not broken, you think to yourself.

Exiting the bathroom, you survey the contents of your wardrobe once more. Seeing as the only thing you'll be wearing from now on is a uniform, you tug at the sleeve of a white button down and look at it with disinterest. 

You sigh, letting go of your towel to pull the shirt out. As the rough fabric pools around your ankles, you hear a knock on your door frame. 

Turning to look over your shoulder, you meet the captain's hard gaze and smile. He takes his time studying your body, the arch in your spine and the curve of your ass. 

"Oh," you say with feigned shock, watching with amusement as his eyes dart back to yours. 

Levi struggles not to avert his gaze. Yours is the nicest body he's seen in what feels like ages but he'd be loathe to admit that to you. The challenge that sparkles in your stare keeps his eyes locked on yours as he leans his hip against your door frame and clears his throat.

Satisfied, you turn back to the task at hand, shoving your arms through the sleeves of the shirt and slipping it over your head.

Whatever words were about to come out of Levi's mouth get caught in his throat while he watches the movement of the toned muscles underneath your smooth skin. He's captivated by the elongation of your back as you reach up to yank the shirt down.

You pull on a pair of clean underwear and grab the pants of your uniform before turning around to face the raven haired man.

"If you're here for your cravat," you say, sliding the soft material over your thighs, "I haven't washed it yet, but I'll have it back to you tomorrow."

"Tch, stupid. I came to apologize," he mutters, crossing his arms over his chest. 

You stop him before he can say anything else.

"Don't worry about it," you wave him off. "I just won't make it so easy next time."

"I'm disappointed you made it easy to begin with," he says, watching as you sweep your hair into a high ponytail.

You bristle a bit at the barely there smirk tugging at his lips and roll your eyes.

"Don't you have some cadets you should be shouting at? Or giving work to?" You ask pointedly, shoving your foot into your boot with a little too much aggression.

He gives you a long look, his grey eyes boring into yours. There's a familiar tug in your gut and you swipe your tongue over the bump on your lip.

"I'd rather find out what you're doing here." His voice is low and his eyes gleam—something simmers just below the surface and a shiver crawls up your spine.

Swallowing the lump that's formed in your throat, you kneel down to begin tying your laces, finger quick and nimble.

"You know how it goes, Captain."

You look up at him with a dazzling smile and bat your lashes; he responds with his signature, "tch."

"Little girl gets in trouble a few too many times, gets locked up by the wrong person but escapes. Gets caught again somewhere down the line and has to choose—jail or the Survey Corps. What did you think I'd choose?"

There's a quick flash of something close to sympathy in the man's eyes, but then he blinks and it's gone, replaced again by the look of boredom.

"Erwin can be a forgiving man," he says. "Don't take advantage of that."

You stand up once more and take your time studying Levi's face. You'd like to run your palms over the smooth planes of his face, the sharp angles of his nose and jaw. His lips look just as soft as they did way back when.

Levi clears his throat.

"What kind of person do you think I am, Captain Levi?" You say in mock upset, bringing your hand up to rest across your chest. He notices the way you drag out his name; his cheeks begin to prickle.

Without another word, he pushes off the wooden frame and turns on his heel. He's almost out of sight when you speak up once more.

"Do you remember, Levi?"

He pauses and looks back at you over his shoulder.

"No."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally a look at how the two of you met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Me again! It’s been a while again, sorry!! I dunno why I keep apologizing cause I’m sure at this point you guys are used to me disappearing.
> 
> No matter how many times I forget about SnK and the fact that I was writing this fic, I will always be Levi trash. 
> 
> I think I’ll finish this eventually, but it’ll definitely take me time. I’m not sure if I’m gonna do anymore flashbacks, but here’s basically how you and Levi officially met :)
> 
> If any of you are still reading this from when I started, thank you! And for any new readers, welcome and I appreciate you!

_“Do you have some sort of death wish?”_

_Levi’s expression doesn’t change, a bit unimpressed, but the glint in his eyes is threatening and you begin to question your own intelligence. Did you really think you could get away with stealing from him?_

_You attempt to sit up, favoring your left arm as you push against the ground. Levi stops you abruptly with a swift kick to your side and you cry out in pain._

_Gasping for air, you don’t give him the satisfaction of seeing the tears that have sprung to your eyes and close them until the pain has receded to a dull ache._

_“Honestly? I didn’t think you’d catch me,” you say when you’ve caught your breath._

_As you gaze up at him from beneath your long, sweeping lashes, you try to make yourself look as innocent and vulnerable as possible. You worry your lip between your teeth and blink at him with wide eyes._

_Levi studies you for a minute, takes in the act that you’re putting on for him and doesn’t look away. He thinks you can’t be more than 18 or 19, but he can’t tell if you’re the kind of person who’s actually older than they look. You begin to fidget under his harsh stare, his grey eyes so sharp you feel like he can read your mind. No, he thinks, you’re definitely just young._

_He steps back with a sigh and watches as you struggle to your feet. You shoot him a wary glare._

_“Give it back and I’ll consider forgetting what you’ve done,” he says slowly, extending his hand with the palm up._

_You look down at it and then back up to meet his eyes. You take a step back._

_“I think I need it more than you do, Levi,” you say coyly. Your eyes shift quickly to either side of him, trying to get your bearings. He takes a step towards you, hand still open. He doesn't bother asking how you know his name; he knows he’s got a reputation in the Underground._

_You find yourself backed against a wall as you continue to inch away from him and your hairs stand on end. A shiver works its way up your spine and you find yourself slightly aroused despite the adrenaline pumping through your veins as your body prepares for fight or flight._

_Before you can make another move, Levi’s grabbing your wrist in one hand and spinning you around with the other. He twists your arm, pinning it behind your back as you wince at the sharp pain in your shoulder._

_Using the hand he spun you with, he begins to feel around your front for the buckles of the harness. You let out a bark of laughter and try to look at him over your shoulder._

_“At least take me on a date first,” you all but purr. You can practically feel the burn of his eyes on the back of your neck._

_“Shut the fuck up,” he growls, still struggling to undo the harness. The frustration in his voice eggs you on and you push back against him._

_“Please, it’s like you’re shanking me with your dick.”_

_Your laughter turns into a yelp when Levi yanks your wrist a bit higher between your shoulder blades._

_“Can’t take a little joke, huh?” You hiss through your teeth. You feel the harness loosen on one side as he finally finds a buckle. You take this moment of distraction to slip the fingers of your free hand beneath your waistband and pray that Levi doesn’t notice._

_As he finally releases your wrist to divest you of his gear, you whip around and grab one of his hands, handcuffing him to a nearby pipe._

_The brief look of confusion that crosses his handsome features almost makes you laugh again, but it quickly morphs into a terrifying snarl. You back away quickly as he tries to lunge at you._

_You watch for a moment as he continues to struggle against the biting steel to reach you, teeth bared as he curses at you._

_“I’m sorry, Levi, truly,” you say, trying desperately to calm him. “Your friends will be looking for you soon, so it’s not like you’ll be stuck here long!”_

_He curses you more and you shoot him a saccharine smile._

_“I’ll try not to take what you’re saying personally.”_

_Levi turns his stare to the handcuff around his wrist and attempts to yank his hand free. You take a step closer to him._

_“Really, I’m sorry,” you repeat. As he turns his face towards you to retort back, you aim a strong kick at the side of his head._

_It takes about a minute for you to unlock the cuffs from the pipe and reposition Levi so that he’s on his knees, hands behind his back and the chains of the cuffs wrapped around the pipe. His head hangs between the two of you, a small trickle of blood dripping steadily from his hairline and down the side of his face. He comes to with your hair in his face while you lean over him, securing one of the cuffs._

_His first thought as his consciousness creeps back is that you smell like lavender with a hint of jasmine. He inhales deeply._

_His second thought is that a fucking infant has just gotten the best of him and he begins to feel the pounding in his head._

_You feel him tense beneath you as he awakens and spring away before he can take a chunk out of your neck, the sharp click of his teeth cutting through the air. He pushes to his feet, breathing harshly through his nose as the steel chain grinds up against the pipe._

_“Fucking bitch,” he snarls._

_“That’s not very nice, Levi,” you respond with a pout. “I said I was sorry.”_

_Slipping the harness back over your shoulders and redoing the buckles, you can’t help but study the man’s face. So handsome, you think, so angry._

_He watches you warily, but still furious, and knows that you’re right—Isabel and Farlan will come looking for him in no time, so you’d better get your ass running well before that happens. He’s never seen you before, but clearly you’re familiar with him. Levi wonders how long you’ve been watching them. He’s frustrated with himself for not noticing before._

_You wave your fingers in front of his face and he realizes he’s been staring. Your kick must have left him more dazed than he’d thought._

_“What?” He snaps._

_“You have a nice name,” you say, smiling as if the two of you are having a casual conversation._

_“Levi.” You draw it out slowly, emphasizing each syllable with every movement of your mouth._

_He hates that he enjoys the way you say his name._

_Without another thought, you press your lips to his._


	6. Chapter 6

“Why the fuck are you still in bed?”

Your eyes snap open to reveal Levi standing over you, the door behind him wide open. It takes you a moment to realize what’s happening and you look out the window to determine the time. Guessing it’s about seven in the morning, you stretch lazily, your arms reaching above your head and back arching.

You’re aware Levi can see your nipples through the thin sheet, your room still cool from the night air. You watch amusedly as he seems to realize what it must mean that they show so prominently through the cloth and he meets your gaze steadily, not taking the bait.

“It’s Saturday, Levi, chill,” you grumble, rolling over onto your stomach as you press your face into the pillow.

It’s been about a week and a half since you arrived at the Survey Corps headquarters and Levi has been tremendously unforgiving in his treatment of you. You wake each morning at 6, have a quick breakfast, begin training with Levi by 6:45 and with the exception of lunch and dinner, you’re generally not in bed until midnight.

Levi claims he’s just “catching you up on everything you’ve missed,” but you’re not stupid—he is literally working you to the bone. Sparring with him is brutal and while you may be quick on your feet, he always manages to land a few hard blows by the end of the day.

“Tch, it’s _Captain_ Levi,” he spits. “And if you continue to drop the title, I’ll make your punishments worse.”

You smile up at him.

“Is that a promise?”

He rips the sheet off of you without warning and you can’t help the yelp that escapes your lips. Your room hasn’t warmed up quite yet and goose pimples rise to the surface of your skin.

“No days off for you, brat,” he says coolly.

You groan and roll onto your back, bringing the palms of your hands up to rub the sleep out of your eyes. You’ve never been one to embarrass easily, especially not when it comes to nudity. Men and women alike have always been eager to compliment your body.

Levi tries not to stare at your breasts, the soft mounds rising steadily with each breath you take, not too big but not too small either, and he certainly tries not to notice the fact that you’re not wearing any underwear. Your smooth skin is flawless and the fluid gracefulness of your every movement leaves him mesmerized.

Pushing off the bed, you rummage through your wardrobe and begin to get dressed. Remembering that Levi is still standing there, you look demurely over your shoulder, an over exaggerated look of indignation marring your features.

“A little privacy, _Captain_?”

The man glares at you and then walks out, barking over his shoulder that he expects you downstairs in ten.

Though you’re undoubtedly grateful to Erwin for accepting you into the Survey Corps, life on the compound is monotonous, each day a repeat of the last. You haven’t had much time to get to know your peers or even to explore the area surrounding the castle, but Hange sits with you at every meal and the two of you are becoming quite close.

It doesn’t help that Levi refuses to say a word to you unless it has to do with training or giving you a punishment. In the short time you’ve been here, he has reprimanded you double the amount than any other cadet in the same time period. Levi looks at you with barely disguised disdain and disgust.

_Can’t a girl catch a break?_

You hurry downstairs to meet up with Levi and grab some fruit from the kitchen on your way.  
__________________________________

Four hours later, you’re sitting under a tree munching on the apple you never got a chance to eat. Levi has given you a half hour break and stomped off somewhere, no doubt to dole out more unwarranted punishments.

You think about how far you’ve come and how much further you’ve got to go. You think about how much time has passed since you first came face to face with Levi. You wonder if the two of you will ever discuss what happened or if he’ll continue to regard you in the same way one does a pest.

It’s been eight years, you think, being practically ignored for another year won’t kill you, but you’d much prefer if that were not the case.

Levi is so fascinating to you, truly an enigma. Even as a 16 year old you could see his potential, see his strength, and now he’s Humanity’s Strongest. You’re not surprised at all.

You saw him frequently in the underground, flying through the air so gracefully, doing things for the good of others. Literally a god among men; you’d heard he answered to no one.

When you were allowed out of the house, you always dreamt that one day you’d meet him. Maybe he’d ask you to join him and his friends. You thought about it constantly.

Obviously Levi was the last person you’d have wanted to have to steal from, but things back “home” had taken a turn for the worst and you desperately needed an out. Not that it had done you any good in the long run.

In a way, you were glad when you stopped seeing Levi in that hell hole, if only because it meant that maybe he’d finally escaped. You hoped for the best, but you’d always wished you could have explained why what happened that night did. You’d never meant to hurt him. News of Levi becoming Humanity’s Strongest had left you ecstatic. You knew at that moment that you needed to leave no matter what—you didn’t care what it took.

Levi is just as handsome as he used to be, you think. If possible, he’s gotten even better looking with age. But with the way things are going now, you’re not getting your hopes up that you’ll even get the chance to know him. You’re just glad you get to spend time training with him.

A shadow cuts across you and you’re immediately brought out of your reverie. Droplets of apple juice have meandered down the fruit and begun to trickle down your arm. You shake your head to clear your mind and look up to see who’s blocking the sunlight.

Armin smiles down at you, cherub like, and you grin back, gesturing at him to sit down. He’s brought some friends with him and they all look at you in awe.

“If you’re going to stare, at least have the decency to hide it better,” you tease.

They all blush and look away.

“This is Eren, Connie, Sasha, Reiner, and Jean,” Armin says, pointing to each one accordingly. He introduces you to everyone.

“Nice to finally meet you all,” you say. “Levi is trying to ensure I have no friends, I’m almost positive about it.”

You gaze at Eren for a moment, studying his features and the way he stares at you with unbridled curiosity. 

“So, you’re the titan boy?” You ask slowly, taking another bite from your apple.

He smiles sheepishly at you and rubs at the back of his neck. Before he can respond, Jean gives Eren a hard cuff to the back of his head.

“Sorry, Eren’s not used to talking to pretty, older women,” he teases.

Eren’s cheeks flush a deep rose and he swats Jean’s hand away with a snarl. “Shut up, horse face!”

The others giggle.

You learn a bit about each of them in the short amount of time you have left during your break. They’re as cute a group as can be, young, fresh and eager. Connie and Sasha bicker like an old married couple, while Eren and Jean do the same, but less adorably and more aggressively. It’s hard for you to believe that this group of 16 year olds has actually come into contact with titans, has actually had to fight for their lives for the sake of humanity. Even you have yet to face off with a titan.

Not keen on revealing too much about your personal life—although, let’s face it, you don’t really _have_ one—you tell them that you ran into a bit of trouble and were given the choice of serving time or letting the Scouting Legion have custody of you. Obviously, you’ve chosen the latter. You can see the inquisitiveness in their eyes, the need to know more, to know _why_.

Before you can say anything else, the remainder of your apple is kicked out of your hand and you all look up to see Levi towering over you.

“Break time’s over, brats,” he says, eyes twitching in annoyance.

You turn to them again and smile, unfurling from your position to stand.

“It was lovely meeting you all,” you say.

The rest of the day goes by much the same as every other day has gone. Shortly before dinner, you and Levi are sparring, an activity you’ve come to enjoy despite that fact that he always manages to kick your ass. 

You’ve been going at it for about a half hour, neither with much success. Levi seems a bit distracted and hasn’t been as aggressive in his offense as usual, so when you see the perfect opportunity to strike, you take it.

Levi widens his stance and staggers his feet in preparation for his attack. As he steps towards you, fist raised and arm pulled back, you rush forward, ducking beneath his arm and ramming yourself into his side. Face in Levi’s armpit, you wrap your arms around him, effectively trapping his right arm above your head. 

Slamming him backwards and into the ground, you push against the dirt with as much strength as you can muster. Levi’s going to be pissed about how dirty the back of his uniform is getting. He struggles to wrench himself out of your grip, but before he can gain any traction against the ground, you clamor on top of him, straddling his chest and pinning his arms against his sides with your thighs.

He frowns up at you as you smile sweetly down at him.

“I win,” you gasp, still trying to catch your breath.

It kills you how difficult Levi is to read. His expression has barely changed at all, except for that the furrow in his brow has deepened and the corner of his mouth is twitching down with irritation. You lick your lips and stare at Levi as he watches you run your tongue over the ridge of your scar. As you finally get to your feet, you extend a hand towards the man. He looks at it for a moment before taking it and pulling himself up.

“Not bad,” he concedes, albeit begrudgingly. “I have a meeting that I need to attend tonight, so we’ll end your training now.”

“Roger that, Captain,” you mumble, wiping the sweat from your forehead. 

As you begin to walk back towards the castle, Levi calls your name.

“See you in the morning.”

You glance back at him over your shoulder and smile. Although he doesn’t return it, the extra hint of contempt that generally graces his stony features is missing, and you think you’ve finally taken a step in the right direction. You blow him a cheeky kiss and he scowls, arms crossing over his chest.

“See you, Levi,” you call out with a laugh.

He watches you as you walk away.  
__________________________________

Hange wasn’t at dinner and you haven’t heard her return to her room yet. You wonder if this seemingly all-important meeting has to do with the upcoming expedition.

Digging to the bottom of your trunk, you find what you were looking for and tie Levi’s freshly laundered cravat to part of it. In all, you’ve taken care of the vertical maneuvering equipment exceedingly well. There’s barely a scratch on it that wasn’t there before you’d stolen it.

You’re not sure how much longer the meeting is going to go, so you hurry to Levi’s office, placing the package in front of the door and returning quickly to your room.

You fall asleep feeling lighter than you have in eight years.


End file.
